The management of the Catanduanes Tribune expresses its sincere condolences to the family of “Burabod” writer Efren Sorra and his family, now mourning the loss of their shining light, Tia Son Millete-Sorra, who succumbed to a lingering ailment last Sunday morning, Feb. 5. May the thought that she is now back in the embrace of the Lord somehow ease their sorrow and loneliness…

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A copy of Resolution No. 065-2016 approved by the Sangguniang Bayan of Caramoran on Dec. 27, 2016, or just two days after typhoon Nina hit the southern part of the province, was recently furnished the Tribune.

The document shows that the unanimously-approved resolution sponsored by Councilor Rodulfo Palero was passed without any opposition from his colleagues in the council. The measure authorizes Mayor Agnes Popa to represent the municipality in entering into loan contract with the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) for the amount of P30 million and to sign the loan agreement and other documents.

A review of the measure’s only three “whereases” does not indicate that much thought and deliberation was devoted to the Palero proposal before it was approved.

The resolution only states that “the LGU of Caramoran, Catanduanes is planning to procure heavy equipment’s of the following: pay loaded, backhoe, dump truck and road roller to be financed by the Development Bank of the Philippines”; that the LGU “needs the utilization of heavy equipment for developmental projects, rental to other contractors as its economic enterprise and to some other barangays requesting the use of heavy equipment”; and, reasons that “it is common knowledge that the use of heavy equipment could be utilize during calamity period wherein it could remove landslide and some other uses during and after calamity period.”

Several sources inside the municipio have confirmed that the P30 million loan proposal did not pass through the LGU’s Committee on Finance, with only two department heads attesting to the Sanggunian the soundness of the ‘economic enterprise.’

If indeed the procurement of heavy equipment was for use in an economic enterprise of the municipal government, then the proposal should have been subject to a feasibility study that would determine if the enterprise would succeed in bringing in revenues from contractor’s equipment rentals.

The Commission on Audit in the province knows that, so far, not one of heavy equipment procurement projects of LGUs have succeeded, and not one LGU have recovered their considerable investments in any economic enterprise.

A check of the towns which purchased P15 to P20 million worth of heavy equipment from a single supplier nearly two decades ago will turn up the sad fact that the equipment did not earn as much from rentals, were used by sitting politicians in their own construction contracts and then allowed to rot from neglect.

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Several airport habitues were wondering last week why nobody from the provincial government or the tourism office were on hand to welcome members of the Catanduanes International Association, Inc. (CIA) that arrived via commercial flights on succeeding days beginning Thursday (Feb. 2).

Perhaps, the concerned officials would just make their pitch for the island’s many attractions when they host the CIA members during the designated night.

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Up to now, the complete copy of the complaint filed by the common-law wife of slain businessman Larry Que has yet to surface.

A reading of the complaint and its supporting documents would show if there’s really a valid case against Governor Joseph Cua, Mayor Samuel Laynes and Palta Small barangay chairman Hilario Sarmiento in connection with the establishment and operation of the clandestine shabu laboratory.

It should be borne in mind that even the Department of Justice itself, which ordered local prosecutors to hand over all shabu lab case files to the DOJ central office last December, has yet to come up with the results of its investigation.

On the other hand, no one has come up, as far as the Catanduanes police is concerned, with hard evidence that the governor is behind the fatal shooting of Que late last year.

No evidence, no case...

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ON A DIET. An overweight woman was put on a diet by her doctor. He said: “I want you to eat regularly for two days, then skip a daw, and repeat the procedure for two weeks. The next time you come to me, you should have lost seven pounds.”

When the woman returned two weeks later, she had lost 19 pounds. The doctor was dumbfounded. “Did you follow my instructions?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said, “but I thought I was going to drop dead that third day.”